ALBUM REVIEW: Dying Fetus - "Wrong One To Fuck With"

By: Jack Taylor

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 23/06/2017

Label: Relapse Records

Like any classic Dying Fetus song, opener “Fixated on Devastation” is saturated with amazing riffs, fantastic drumming and clever song writing. It’s a thrilling ride and one which carries on throughout this record.  One could argue that the band sounds more or less the same as they have done since “Descend into Depravity”, but as long as they keep up this quality of song writing, nobody will complain.

“Wrong One To Fuck With” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Fixated on Devastation

2). Panic Amongst the Herd

3). Die with Integrity

4). Revelling in the Abyss

5). Seething with Disdain

6). Ideological Subjugation

7). Weaken the Structure

8). Fallacy

9). Unmitigated Detestation

10). Wrong One To Fuck With

The Review:

Dying Fetus’s ‘Wrong One To Fuck With’ is the band’s first release in five years, and marks the longest period between albums in the group’s history. It’s been worth the wait – this album is a cracker.

From the first minute of this album, the listener is in no doubt over what they’re in for or who they’re listening to. A bewilderingly technical but catchy and, most crucially, relevant riff opens proceedings before a slamming groove slows things down and John Gallagher’s distinctive bark jumps into the mix.

Like any classic Dying Fetus song, opener “Fixated on Devastation” is saturated with amazing riffs, fantastic drumming and clever songwriting. It’s a thrilling ride and one which carries on throughout this record.  “Die with Integrity” has another insurmountable groove followed by frenetic riffage and torturous passages, while “Revelling in the Abyss” is the longest song the band have written in some time, clocking in at over six minutes. The clean guitars on “Weaken the Structure” make a welcome change from the relentlessly violent and scything riffage. After the last notes of “Seething with Devastation” ring out, you need a halfway break – this album and the band in general, are so intense that stomaching a whole album in one sitting would be tough going.

Have the band progressed? One could argue that the band sounds more or less the same as they have done since “Descend into Depravity”, but as long as they keep up this quality of songwriting, nobody will complain.

“Wrong One To Fuck With” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

FFO: Suffocation, Misery Index, Nile, Aborted

ALBUM REVIEW: Harvestman - "Music For Megaliths"

By: Jack Taylor

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 19/05/2017

Label: Neurot Recordings

an ethereal bagpipe drone, oscillating around your speakers, waves of guitar effects wash over you and the whole choir of eldritch noise comes creeping back into view, then departing again, This is” Music For Megaliths”, the latest record by Harvestman, and as expected, it’s everything you’d want from a Harvestman record and definitely worth a listen for anyone into drone, ambient or progressive music.

“Music For Megaliths” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. The Forest Is Our Temple
02. Oak Drone
03. Ring Of Sentinels
04. Cromlech
05. Levitation
06. Sundown
07. White Horse

The Review:

It starts with an ethereal bagpipe drone, oscillating around your speakers, a kind of psychedelic clarion call melody. Waves of guitar effects wash over you, then the song picks up momentum with a familiar heartbeat chug, chug, chug. It just keeps on building and building. A premonitory guitar melody plucked on an acoustic, then sliding, bending. You wonder where it’s going to go, but the song reveals that the destination isn’t important, as it slides off into a dull hum, before expiring. And then coming back to life, briefly, the whole choir of eldritch noise creeping back into view, then departing again. This is” The Forest is Our Temple”, the opening track on the latest record by Harvestman, ‘Music For Megaliths’, and as expected, it’s everything you’d want from a Harvestman record.

Harvestman is essentially a Steve Von Till solo project, but differs from the albums that carry his name in that there are next to no vocals on Harvestman, only an assorted array of instruments. It’s obvious that Von Till loves just noodling around in a studio and seeing what he can come up with by stacking tracks and playing with effects, venturing into the musical hinterland, and Harvestman is the focused, recorded outcome of this time.

If you’ve heard this side project before then it’ll offer no surprises, but it’s another excellent edition to the Neurosis legend’s back catalogue. Aside from the excellent opener, there are six other tracks on this album. “Oak Drone” is more of the same as the first, “Ring of Sentinels” features a nice little drum loop and soothing bass line, “Cromlech” has barely any structure and is simply just a dazzling droney joy feast, while closer “White Horse” is probably the only song that could come close to appearing on one of Von Till’s folk albums – haunting acoustic melody accompanied by foreboding vocals and the usual ambiguous, enchanting lyrics.

Another solid Harvestman release – the short length arguably lets it down, as ‘Lashing the Rye’ was twice as long and more varied, but definitely worth a listen for anyone into drone, ambient or progressive music.

“Music For Megaliths” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Aathma - "Avesta"

By: Jack Taylor

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 20/01/2017

Label: Underground Legends Records,

Sacramento Records, Odio Sonoro,

Cosmic Tentacles, The Braves Records,

Lengua Armada, VZQ, Avestan Scriptures,

Aladeriva Records (only CD), Violence in the veins (only CD)

Wonderfully straddling the line between a live and studio sound, thanks to the efforts of producer Carlos Santos and the unfailingly excellent mastering work of the ever-prolific James Plotkin, ‘Avesta’ sounds absolutely mighty.  A must-listen for fans of Yob, Baroness, Mastodon and anyone interested in ambitious stoner-sludge metal.

“Avesta” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Mah

2). Mithra

3). Atash

4). Ken Za

5). Hvare

6). Aban

The Review:

‘Avesta’ is Aathma’s first full-length since two-thirds of the line-up changed in the period between their last album, ‘Decline…Towers of Silence’ and the ‘Deadly Lake’ EP. As I considered the latter to be one of the band’s finest efforts to date, I was keenly anticipating the release of ‘Avesta’. I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed at all.

The first thing which strikes you about this album is its wonderful blend of sheer sonic power and finesse. Wonderfully straddling the line between a live and studio sound, thanks to the efforts of producer Carlos Santos and the unfailingly excellent mastering work of the ever-prolific James Plotkin, ‘Avesta’ sounds absolutely mighty.

And what about the songs then? Well it’s another strong collection from this Madridian trio, seven excellent songs that stand up to anything in their back catalogue. Frontman Juan Dominguez gives Yob’s Mike Scheidt a run for his money with his excellent varied vocal delivery and stellar guitar work, particularly on the opener “Mah’, while ‘Mithra’ is another stunning track. “Ken-Za” is a devastating cosmic jam resembling Ufomammut at their finest, which segues into “Hvare”, one of the band’s more straightforward pieces which features a satisfying singalong chorus of sorts. The closer, “Aban”, traverses a great deal of sonic terrain over the course of twelve minutes – another stellar epic to fit snugly into the Aathma back catalogue in the mould of ‘Red Storm (Decline of a Breed’ and ‘A Thousand Nails’.

As previously mentioned, aside from singer/guitarist Juan, the other band members were making their debuts on an Aathma full length. They make their presence know, with Mario González’s bass work and Alex Porras’s drumming performances being top-notch throughout. As a result, Aathma sound much more mature and confident than on their debut, ‘The Call of Shivá’, which was released back in 2009.

With ‘Avesta’, Aathma have released one of my favourite releases of 2017 so far. A must-listen for fans of the aforementioned Yob, Baroness, Mastodon and anyone interested in ambitious stoner-sludge metal. 

‘Avesta’ is available in all formats here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: HARK - "Machinations"

By: Jack Taylor

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 24/02/.2017

Label: Season of Mist

“Machinations” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Fortune Favours The Insane

2). Disintegrate

3). Nine Fates

4). Speak in Tongues

5). Transmutation

6). Son of Pythagoras

7). Premonitions

8). Comnixant 30

9). The Purge

The Review:

Such is the legendary status of Taint is that HARK is still somewhat unfortunately referred to in some quarters as ‘Jimbob’s new band’, much in the same way that Jason Newsted was perpetually ‘the new guy’ in Metallica. Yet I think if HARK carry on putting out material of the calibre of ‘Machinations’ then their status will usurp that of Taint’s in the near future.

The band’s sophomore record is packed to the rafters with the excellent riffage that Jimbob has made a career out of, as well as his characteristic, punky yelp. Compared to their debut effort, 2014’s ‘Crystalline’, HARK sound more confident and better prepared. Gone are the slightly over baked moments of their first album – the chaff has been well and truly sorted from the wheat, and the band sound even better because of it.

Standout track is “Nine Fates”, which begins with a gorgeous old-school Mastodon intro before launching into a pulsating stoner rhythm. “Disintegrate” and “Son of Pythagoras” are also quality tracks, with the familiar but welcome exhibition of High on Fire-esque grooves and exquisite guitar pyrotechnics courtesy of the aforementioned Jimbob. It’s not like HARK are breaking new musical ground, but they are so good at what they do that it doesn’t really matter if they are or they aren’t.

Like ‘Crystalline’, HARK choose to end this opus with a short instrumental followed by a meandering, multi-faceted closing track, that culminates in a crescendo of triumphant guitar melodies. It’s a fitting way to end a solid second effort – I’m certainly looking forward to seeing this lot on the road in the near future, as these nine offerings are sure to sound gargantuan live.

“Machinations” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Hate Eternal - 'Infernus’ (Album Review)

By: Jack Taylor

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 21/08/2015

Label: Season of Mist

There aren't many bands out there that can punish your ears with such consummate brutality, which is what Hate Eternal succeeds at doing from start to finish on this disc. Highlights? 'The Chosen Ones' has bewilderingly epic bass guitar work which is fully audible beneath the atonal guitar-mashings of main man Erik Rutan.

‘Infernus’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Locust Swarm
2). The Stygian Deep
3). Pathogenic Apathy
4). La Tempestad
5). Infernus
6). The Chosen One
7). Zealot, Crusader of War
8). Order of the Arcane Scripture
9). Chaos Theory
10. O’ Majestic Being, Hear My Call

Hate Eternal is:

Erik Rutan | vocals, guitars
J.J. Hrubovcak | bass, backing vocals
Chason Westmoreland | drums

The Review:

American death metal legends Hate Eternal have been belching forth some of the finest death metal around at a consistent rate of an album every three years since 1998. 'Infernus' is their sixth full-length, and their first on Season of Mist. Many bands evolve and change over time, but the manner in which Hate Eternal jump out your speakers, in such a vicious, uncompromising manner, you are left in no doubt what kind of experience you're in for. This is no criticism of the band – 'Infernus' is every bit as interesting as their previous records.

There aren't many bands out there that can punish your ears with such consummate brutality, which is what Hate Eternal succeeds at doing from start to finish on this disc. Highlights? 'The Chosen Ones' has bewilderingly epic bass guitar work which is fully audible beneath the atonal guitar-mashings of main man Erik Rutan. One of the most impressive tracks on this record is “Chaos Theory”, one of Hate Eternal's customary instrumental pieces. Its mid-paced nature and sublime guitar work gives the listener a much needed (and deserved) break from the relentless barrage, before the final onslaught that is “O' Majestic Being, Hear My Call”.

Despite 'Infernus' being an ace album, for those uninitiated in the ways of Erik Rutan and his cronies, I would recommend 2005's 'I, Monarch' as being the most outstanding Hate Eternal record. If you dig that, then 'Infernus' would be a great follow-up.

‘Infernus’ is available here

FFO: Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Decapitated

Band info: Facebook | Official

Cathedral - 'In Memoriam' Reissue (Review)

By: Jack Taylor

Album Type: Demo (Remastered)

Date Released: 10/07/2015

Label: Rise Above Records

‘Mourning of a New Day’, is fairly typical of what one would expect from this band – the trudgy, monolithic Black Sabbath-inspired riffage,

‘In Memorium’ CD//DVD//LP track listing:

1). Mourning of a New Day

2). All Your Sins

3). Ebony Tears

4). March

Live Holland/Belgium 1991

4). Comiserating the Celebration

5). Ebony Tears Neophytes For Serpent Eve

6). All Your Sins

7). Mourning of a New Day

DVD Live in Groningen (NL) May 1st 1991

1). Comiserating the Celebration

2). Ebony Tears

3). Neophytes For Serpent Eve

4). All Your Sins

5). Mourning of a New Day

Cathedral were on this recording:

Lee Dorian | Vocals

Adam Lehan | Guitars

Mark Griffiths | Bass

Ben Mochrie | Drums

Gaz Jennings | Guitars

The Review:

The late, great Cathedral left us two years ago, but their very first imprint on the music scene has been re-released –  ‘In Memorium’.   Originally a four-song demo released in 1990, it has now been remastered and repackaged – with a bunch of rare live songs stuck on the end.

Like many underground metal acts that were given fantastic record deals at the start of the 90's, Cathedral started off wonderfully, suffered somewhat from late 90's blues, and then picked up again, before bowing out of the scene entirely. This first effort by the band offers no surprises to listeners in 2015, but back in the day, it served as a blueprint for the band's entire career.

The first song, ‘Mourning of a New Day’, is fairly typical of what one would expect from this band – the trudgy, monolithic Black Sabbath-inspired riffage, and the more up-tempo passages that are obviously a nod to the great American doom act, Trouble. ‘All Your Sins’ is another decent slab of doom, but all on this short release is eclipsed by their subsequent albums – particularly ‘Carnival Bizarre’ and ‘The Ethereal Mirror’. It's a great insight into the origins of the band – and the music isn't half bad either – but unless you are a hardcore fan of the band, it's probably worth passing over.

‘In Memoriam’ is available here

Band info: Facebook | Official | Twitter

KEN mode - 'Success' (Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 15/6/2015

Label: Season of Mist

‘Success’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Blessed
2. These Tight Jeans
3. The Owl
4. I Just Liked Fire
5. Management Control
6. A Passive Disaster
7. Failing At Fun Since 1981
8. A Catalog Of Small Disappointments
9. Dead Actors

KEN mode is:

Jesse Matthewson | vocals, guitar
Shane Matthewson | drums
Skot Hamilton | bass, vocals

Review:

KEN mode have long been on my radar, but it wasn't until last week that I decided to give their latest LP, ‘Success’, a listen. I was expecting great things – in recent years they had toured with two of my favourite bands, H A R K and Kylesa, an auspicious sign – and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.

‘Success’ is a big step in the career of this trio from Winnipeg, and an interesting choice of title. A bold assertion, a tongue-in-cheek statement? Whatever it is, it marks the first album from KEN mode as a full time band – the day jobs have been jacked in, and from now on it's serious.

From the outset, it's clear what to expect from the rest of the record. The music bleeds out of your speakers in a fuzzy and abrasive manner, but with plenty of groove and intelligent song writing. The music isn't just straightforward guitars, drums and bass - we are even treated to strings on a quite proggy passage of “The Owl”. As well as sludgier, groovy moments, visceral punk energy is also in abundance on this record, no better exemplified than on ‘I Just Liked Fire’.

The vocals remind me of legendary Welsh underground act Mcclusky who were active at the turn of the century – both jokey and outright aggressive. “I am that scholar of spite” guitarist/vocalist Jesse Matthewson seeths on ‘These Tight Jeans’, who is equally competent at throat shredding howling as he is with more melodic singing. In his more introspective moments he asks “What was the last thing you've done that mattered?” on the closing track of the album. His lyrics are entertaining as well as thought-provoking, and never get boring. ‘Failing at Fun since 1981’ is another excellent composition – singalong choruses, off-kilter and challenging rhythms. The album is topped off with an epic of sorts – ‘Dead Actors’ - arguably the best song on the record.

KEN mode have succeeded in making an album which isn't only fun to listen to but pushes musical boundaries and rewards repeated listens. These Canadians have created a multi-faceted, versatile beast of an album here, which I'm certain will appeal to a great number of the readers of The Sludgelord. Highly recommended. 

Words by: Jack Taylor

‘Success’ is available here

For more information:

Official: www.ken-mode.comLike: www.facebook.com/kenmode  

Minsk - ‘The Crash and The Draw’ (Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 03/04/2015

Label: Relapse Records

‘The Crash and The Draw’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. To The Initiate

2. Within And Without

3. Onward Procession I. These Longest Of Days

4. Onward Procession II. The Soil Calls

5. Onward Procession III. The Blue Hour

6. Onward Procession IV. Return, The Heir

7. Conjunction

8. The Way Is Through

9. To You There Is No End

10. To The Garish Remembrance Of Failure

11. When The Walls Fell

Minsk is

Aaron Austin | Guitar
Christopher Bennett | Guitar & Vocals
Zachary Livingston | Bass
Timothy Mead | Vocals & Keyboards
Kevin Rendleman | Drums

Review:

Chicago outfit Minsk have returned after a long spell on the sidelines, with a new album which is set to top many end-of-year lists come December.

After three stunning psychedelic metal releases towards the end of the last decade, Minsk took a hiatus. It lasted six years, and appeared to take its toll on the band – Sanford Parker and Tony Wyioming left, having been mainstays since 2007's ‘Out of a Center Which is Neither Dead nor Alive’. On the positive side, founding members Chris Bennett and Tim Mead have remained – and it's hard to think of many bands who have managed to maintain, if not build upon the quality of previous releases despite losing two vital members.

‘The Crash and the Draw’ is simply colossal. It is brimming with clever musical ideas, twists and turns, and never fails to captivate the listener. It's the sheer variety that appeals - one moment a huge, melodic chorus like in ‘Conjunction’, then the a track like ‘To You There Is No End’, which gives Locrian a run for their money with it's warped synths and hypnotic drumming. The riff work on display here is utterly sumptuous too – post-apocalyptic Neurosis-esque workouts aplenty, and highly melodic and inventive proggy passages.

Minsk has expanded their sonic palette here. The drumming is more furious than ever – new sticksman Kevin Rendleman appears to have brought some new flavours to the band, including passages that are more akin to thrash and black metal than what is usually to be expected of Minsk. The vocals were aggressive on previous records, but at times on here they reach a new level of vitriolic rage, which is astonishingly powerful – it's hard to believe messers Bennet and Mead have any vocal chords left after the centrepiece, ‘Onward Procession’.

Minsk's fourth full length is arguably their best, and must be heard by anyone who is into forward-thinking, expansive metal. 76 minutes of pure metallic joy – let's hope it's not so long before we are treated to its follow-up.

Words by: Jack Taylor

‘The Crash and The Draw’ is available everywhere now

For more information:

Minsk on Facebook | Minsk on Twitter | Minsk on Instagram | Minsk on Bandcamp
Official Site

Rwake - “Xenoglossalgia: The Last Stage of Awareness” (Album Review)

Album Type: Demo (Reissue)

Date Released: 10/2/2015

Label: Relapse Records

“Xenoglossalgia: The Last Stage of Awareness” CD//DD//DLP track listing:

1. Intro
2. Stairwell
3. Or Die
4. Xenoglossalgia
5. Nagarachi
6. Interlude
7. Calibos/So Fucking Tired

Rwake are:

Kris Graves | Guitar, Mandolin
Jeff Morgan | Drums, Samples
Chris Terry | Vocals, Samples, Noise
Chris Newman | Guitar
Aaron Mills | Bass
Rob Eaten | Keyboards, Vocals

Review

I'm sure I wasn't the only one who got a rush of excitement upon hearing that Rwake was releasing a new album, only to feel a bit deflated upon finding out it was just a remaster of a seventeen year old demo. After the release in 2011 of "Rest", one of the finest forward-thinking sludge albums since the turn of the century, this Arkansas troupe have been pretty quiet. The re-release of “Xenoglossalgia: The Last Stage of Awareness” could be perceived as being a stop-gap, or just a reminder to us that Rwake are still about. However you choose to interpret it, “Xenoglosslgia” is an interesting enough release that is well worth a spin.

For me, the quality of Rwake's material has had a steady upward trajectory throughout their career – each album manages to build upon and better the last record, not just in terms of songwriting but in production values too. “Xenoglossalgia: The Last Stage of Awareness” hardly bucks this trend, but as a first effort, it is enjoyable. All of the hallmarks of what were to make Rwake a household name in the sludge world are here – the mandolin intro, the psychotic dual vocals, and the caustic Eyehategod-worshipping riffs. The first two tracks on here, “Intro” and “Stairwell” are pretty indicative of this. It is clear that back in 1998 Rwake still had a long way to go in terms of arrangements and composition. It reminds me of early Today is the Day and Neurosis, where there is often too much going on, the band too eager to impress, perhaps. Compare it to the slick (in a good way) and relatively stripped back “Rest” and you'll see what I mean. The most compelling moments on the demo come in the staggeringly long closer – "Calibos/So Fucking Tired". Clocking in at nearly three-quarters of an hour, this one track is longer than most albums. It features some of the most suffocating, warped psychedelic riffs you can imagine, with the guitars sounding like they are crawling backwards through treacle at times.

The re-release serves to whet our appetites for the next Rwake album, but it also shows us how far they've come in their near twenty year existence. Let's hope they have a follow up to “Rest” in the pipeline, as I'm sure it would lay waste to a great deal of their contemporaries’ efforts.

Words by: Jack Taylor

‘“Xenoglossalgia: The Last Stage of Awareness” is available via Relapse Records here

For more information:

http://rwake.bandcamp.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/RwakeBand

Nate Hall - Fear of Falling (Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 24/11/2014

Label: Self Release

‘Fear of Falling’ track listing:

1). Heat and Sway

2). 77

3). The Travelling Sun

4). Fall

5). Fear of Falling

Review:

Nate Hall is the frontman of Appalachian space/folk/psychedelic rock troupe U.S. Christmas, who were head-hunted by Scott Kelly over ten years ago after he chanced upon one of their earlier releases, “Black Heart Bull”. They subsequently signed to Neurot Recordings and released some of the best psychedelica I've known of in recent years. USX, as the band are known, have been laying low for a few years, but Nate Hall has been quietly productive. His collaboration with Poison Snake, “Fear of Falling”, released at the tail end of last year, is his third release in two years, following on from the folky “A Great River” and the noisy, feedback-drenched “Electric Vacuum Roar”.

It's nearly quarter of a century since Neil Young, following a shaky decade of controversial albums, releasing the landmark “Ragged Glory” in 1991. Hall channels the Ontarian's spirit on this release, with its wandering guitars, drawn-out Americana jams and soulful lyricism. It's more ragged than ‘....Glory’ though - and this owes a lot to Nate's affection for 90's indie rock legends Caustic Resin, both in his vocal ululations and the plodding (in a good way) nature of the music.

Yet it's not just wonderful overdriven guitar jams we are treated to on this release. The centrepiece of the album, “The Travelling Sun”, had been released on a 7 inch with Scott Kelly a few years ago, but it's great to see it saved from potential obscurity and given a fresh tinge. “You won't mind, when I leave today” howls a ghostly Hall over a backdrop of almost agonizingly strummed electric guitar, in what is arguably his most outstanding ballad he has ever accomplished. A mean feat, given the quality of “Fire is Sleeping” off USX's “Run Thick in the Night” and the title track from 2012's “A Great River”.

Like Hall's last two releases, “Fear of Falling” was knocked out in the studio in just a day, giving the music a feeling of immediacy and spontaneity. The production is huge – the guitars are cavernous and expansive on “Fall”, whereas the bass jumps about without license with sumptuous abandon. In an era of manicured tones and anodyne pro-tooled songs, this is as refreshing as it is honest.

Nate Hall's music deserves to be heard by many more than it already is, and at this rate he is on his way to becoming something more than an unknown legend

                

Words by: Jack Taylor

You can pick up a copy here

For more information:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nate-Hall/221469457884975 | https://natehall77.bandcamp.com/album/fear-of-falling | http://natehall13.bigcartel.com/